The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. In doing this, the USPTO fulfills the mandate of Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the Constitution that the legislative branch "promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." The USPTO registers trademarks based on the commerce clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). Under this system of protection, American industry has flourished. New products have been invented, new uses for old ones discovered, and employment opportunities created for millions of Americans. The strength and vitality of the U.S. economy depends directly on effective mechanisms that protect new ideas and investments in innovation and creativity. The continued demand for patents and trademarks underscores the ingenuity of American inventors and entrepreneurs. The USPTO is at the cutting edge of the nation's technological progress and achievement.

The USPTO advises the president of the United States, the secretary of commerce, and U.S. government agencies on intellectual property (IP) policy, protection, and enforcement; and promotes the stronger and more effective IP protection around the world. The USPTO furthers effective IP protection for U.S. innovators and entrepreneurs worldwide by working with other agencies to secure strong IP provisions in free trade and other international agreements. It also provides training, education, and capacity building programs designed to foster respect for IP and encourage the development of strong IP enforcement regimes by U.S. trading partners.

Upcoming events

Feb 2 - Dec 7, 2023

Unfamiliar with patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets? Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from USPTO experts about intellectual property (IP) basics and potential ways to protect your innovation as you transition from idea to product. The Midwest Regional USPTO offers this session for...

Sep 26, 2023

Register today to attend a virtual First-Time Filer Expedited Examination Pilot Program webinar that will be held on Tuesday, September 26 from 1-2 p.m. ET. This free webinar is part of the United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) Council for Inclusive Innovation (CI2) efforts to...

Sep 26, 2023

We have extended the deadline for registering to attend in person and requesting to participate as a speaker at the listening session on changes to the attorney recognition rule to September 22 . Join our public listening session September 26 from 2-3:30 p.m. ET in person or online to share your...

Sep 27, 2023

Are you interested in filing a patent application without assistance from a registered patent attorney or agent? If so, join us Wednesday, September 27, from 1-4:30 p.m. ET, for a free virtual program provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) Stakeholder Offerings and...

Oct 3, 2023

Are you a small business owner or entrepreneur interested in learning about trademarks and how to apply for a federal registration? If so, this event is a must-attend. In this first module of our eight-part virtual Trademark Basics Boot Camp, we’ll focus on trademark protection in the United States...

Oct 5, 2023

Join the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a one-day trademarks boot camp on October 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT, at Region 10/West Central Small Business Development Center in Montrose, Colorado. This is an in-person, single-day workshop for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and...

Oct 5, 2023

Unfamiliar with patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets? Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from USPTO experts about intellectual property (IP) basics and potential ways to protect your innovation as you transition from idea to product. The Midwest Regional USPTO offers this session for...

Oct 10, 2023

Are you a small business owner or entrepreneur interested in learning about trademarks and how to apply for a federal registration? If so, this event is a must-attend. In this second module of our eight-part virtual Trademark Basics Boot Camp, we’ll focus on the overall trademark registration...

Oct 12, 2023

Are you interested in learning about intellectual property (IP) basics? In part one of this eight-part recurring series, United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) experts will: Provide a brief overview of the different types of IP (patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and copyrights) Review...

Oct 17, 2023

Are you a small business owner or entrepreneur interested in learning about trademarks and how to apply for a federal registration? If so, this event is a must-attend. In this third module of our eight-part virtual Trademark Basics Boot Camp, we'll focus on important principles related to federal...

News & Updates

USPTO to rename Public Search Facility after pioneering Black patent examiner Henry Baker

WASHINGTON—At its Black Innovation and Entrepreneurship program featuring the world premiere of the documentary short “America’s Ingenuity” about his work, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announces it will rename its Public Search Facility after Henry E. Baker (1857 – 1928), a...

USPTO ushers in new era with introduction of electronic patent grants

WASHINGTON—Beginning April 18, 2023, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is shifting towards issuing paper waste-reducing electronic patent grants (eGrants) to patent recipients—a new process that delivers the official copy of patent grants in an electronic format. We will provide a bound...

Latest USPTO report finds a 32% increase in the number of U.S. counties where women patented between 1990 and 2019

WASHINGTON—The United States Patent and Trademark Office today released a new report, titled “Where are U.S. women patentees? Assessing three decades of growth.” The report examines women’s patenting by U.S. counties from 1990 through 2019. It identifies counties with the most women-patentees by...

Modern, user-friendly Patent Center to fully replace legacy Public PAIR system this summer

WASHINGTON—Beginning August 1, 2022, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Patent Center system—available to the public since 2017—will fully replace the legacy Public Patent Application Information Retrieval (Public PAIR) tool for the electronic filing and management of patent applications...

After a nearly 30-year career at the USPTO, Drew Hirshfeld to step down later this month

WASHINGTON—United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Acting Deputy Director Drew Hirshfeld announced his final day in office will be June 21, capping off a nearly three-decades long career at America’s Innovation Agency...

Record number of practitioners and law firms helped under-resourced inventors and small businesses protect their innovations in 2021

WASHINGTON – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced the recipients of the 2021 Patent Pro Bono Achievement Certificate, recognizing and thanking individuals and law firms that have volunteered significant time and effort to help financially under-resourced inventors...

USPTO announces emphasis on transparency as it works to formalize Director review process

WASHINGTON – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is increasing transparency through updates on the interim process for Director review webpage and through a new webpage that provides the status of Director review requests as it formalizes the Director review process. In response to...

USPTO announces new Public Advisory Committee members

Washington – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced new membership to its Patent and Trademark Public Advisory Committees, composed of private-sector intellectual property (IP) executives who help advise the Secretary of Commerce and the USPTO Director on the...

USPTO issues patent number 11,000,000

WASHINGTON – The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today officially issued U.S. patent number 11 million, recognizing an important milestone in American innovation and ingenuity. “This momentous benchmark is a reminder of the remarkable and enduring tradition of American innovation...

USPTO releases updated study on participation of women in the U.S. innovation economy

WASHINGTON - The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today released “Progress and Potential: 2020 Update on U.S. Women Inventor-Patentees,” a follow-up to its 2019 report on U.S. women inventors. The new report updates the previous findings based on a review of an additional nearly one...